More than a year after flashfloods triggered by cloudbursts hit villages in Himachal Pradesh, the state Cabinet at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Thursday decided to extend the special relief package to disaster-affected areas.
The areas include Samej and Rampur in Shimla district, Jaun-Bagipul and Nirmand in Kullu district, and Tikkam Thalu-Kot in Mandi district.
Under this package, affected families will receive enhanced compensation for their losses. The compensation for completely damaged houses would be increased to Rs 7 lakh, up from Rs 1.5 lakh.
Extensive losses, both to human lives and properties, were reported due to heavy rains and cloudbursts in July 2023.
The Cabinet also gave its nod to criteria for engaging 80 ‘Khanan Rakshak’ in the Department of Industries, fixing the age limit between 20 and 30 years.
It has decided to fill 26 posts in the Department of Sainik Welfare and approved to appoint 17 Punjabi teachers and 14 Urdu teachers in the Department of Education.
It gave approval for engaging the guest teachers in the Education Department to fill gaps due to short-term vacancy in any institution to be paid on an hourly basis.
The Cabinet decided to regularise the services of 928 part-time water carriers as Class IV employees who have completed 11 years of daily and part-time services in the Education Department.
The Cabinet approved recommendations of the Cabinet Sub-Committee on the operation of home stays and decided to notify the Himachal Pradesh Home Stays Rules, 2024, whereby preference will be given to bonafide Himachalis.
Additionally, the requirement to obtain a no-objection certificate from the HP Pollution Control Board, local bodies, or any other department has been waived off.
However, sewerage systems and garbage disposal mechanisms will be mandatory. Moreover, the installation of rainwater harvesting systems will be encouraged in the home stay units.
It was decided to accept recommendations of the high-powered committee on the hydropower sector.
Under these provisions, the government will assess and formulate a policy to revive projects up to 25 MW that have shown no visible progress. There are currently over 700 stalled projects in the state.
